


Just For You

by Galindrael



Series: A Very Dragon Age Christmas [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: DECFANFIC, Day Two, Fluff, M/M, Mistletoe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-03
Updated: 2014-12-03
Packaged: 2018-02-27 23:20:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2710382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galindrael/pseuds/Galindrael
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Iron Bull has a crush. No, that's not the right word... Well, whatever it is, The Iron Bull is determined to bring a smile to the Tevinter mage's face even if that means pulling a few favours. Either way, here's hoping this Qunari can pull Dorian out of the funk he's fallen into.</p><p>For the #DecFanFic contest.</p><p>There are currently 22 parts to this series, the link, for some reason is broken- sorry for the issue, I'm trying to fix it (as of 1 February 2015)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just For You

Dorian reminded Bull of the gold filigree on a very deadly weapon. Dorian’s dismissive attitude and snarky remarks made Bull laugh and, more often than he liked to admit, he caught himself daydreaming about the Tevinter mage. Before Dorian, Bull had just the company of his Chargers and, of course, the goal to slay a dragon; he didn’t care who it was with as long as he got to be part of the fight that downed the great beast. But now, he couldn’t do anything without thinking of the impossibly gorgeous mustached man.

 Iron Bull remembered the first time he made a flirtatious remark towards Dorian and Dorian had to pause mid-sentence; he even stumbled about his words a lot like Cullen did when Scáthach had first flirted with him at Haven.  With the recent meeting with Dorian’s father, he noticed Dorian’s smile was a little less wide and his eyes were a little less bright. And Bull could not stand for that one second. Dorian was excellent at hiding his emotions from most of the Inquisition, but most of the Inquisition didn’t look at Dorian like Bull did; He wasn’t reading for pleasure as much and his visits to the tavern were becoming less frequent, as he started to hide within the shelving of his normal place within Skyhold. He thinks the mage might have lost a bit of weight too.

Last night Dorian had come in for a late meal at the tavern and Bull caught Dorian stealing glances towards the Inquisitor and the Commander. Bull knew that both Scáthach and Cullen were his best friends but with their own relationship becoming more serious by the day, much of either of their free time was spent with one another. Cole, who had taken a liking to the Bull’s company even made a remark, “Old wounds reopened. A harsh word ringing in his ear, he’s worried he’ll fall to old habits. But they remind him of what he fights for, what he needs”. The kid vanished before Bull could ask more questions. When he looked back to Dorian, Cole sat on the bar stool farthest from view and, with his sad blue eyes, said something that made Dorian sigh and nod before leaving the tavern altogether.

Bull looked around the tavern and wondered how they could all be so oblivious to Dorian in that moment. Cullen and Scáthach were in the corner, half going over paperwork and half flirting. Sera was being a loud drunk on the floor above with her Red Jenny contact. The Chargers were taking bets and making crude jokes to one another, their boisterous laughing nearly drowning out the poor minstrel. Varric had just come in and Cole sprung up and sauntered his way over to the dwarf before plying him with questions as was their usual evening routine. Cassandra had only stopped in to add to the Commander’s pile of paperwork, but she did stop and ask him how he was doing-which was nice. He didn’t say anything, of course, but it was nice that she asked.  After he ordered another round from the busy bar-keep he noticed something that made him decide he would finally just ask the Inquisitor the damn question. He must have been drinking more than he thought because standing up was not a thing he could do gracefully at the moment; so he waited and drank in the scene instead of the ale.

Cullen had shoved the paperwork off to the side of their table, and closed the previous space between himself and Scáthach. Whatever he had whispered in her ear made the Inquisitor giggle like a maiden and she turned to him, and began leaning in for a kiss before shyly pulling back as if suddenly aware that they weren’t alone, but Cullen had placed his fingers under her chin and pulled her face to his so he could fulfill the kiss himself. She smiled at him like nothing that was happening in Thedas had mattered because she knew he’d be there for her. Then he placed a kiss on her forehead and she leaned against his shoulder. Bull couldn’t wait around and just hope Dorian realized he was serious. He wanted a relationship with him and he’ll be damned if anyone could say he didn’t at least try.     

After everyone had left the tavern to finish the last of their duties before night’s end, Bull stayed a bit and tried formulating the question appropriately…and sobering up before he made his way to Inquisitor’s room. The courtyard was eerily silent as the recruits stopped training at sundown and the cooler weather had most staying in at night. Bull could see that the Inquisitor still had her candles lit, as he made his way up the stairs. The guards to the building opened the door for him and locked them shut behind him. The emptiness of the hall made the short walk to the Inquisitor’s door a bit creepy, which made Bull a bit more jumpy and the sudden noise almost made him grab for his weapon.

“I think the Inquisitor’s tucked in for the night, dear,” Vivienne’s droll voice rang out from behind a chair by the fireplace.

“It’s important, and just a quick question, I don’t think she’ll mind,” he had turned to face Vivienne to answer and as he was turning back around to keep on his journey, she replied.

She let out an amused snicker, “I’m sure you’re right”.  He hated admitting it, but she made him nervous. She’s a pretty flower you pick before you realize her thorns are poisonous and you’re dying on the ground from that small prick on your thumb. So he picked up his pace a bit.

Past the throne, and up the stairs Bull made his way to the last threshold between himself and the Inquisitor’s room and quietly knocked in case she had fallen asleep. He made that mistake of knocking loudly once and was not making it again.  That look she gave him could probably have killed him. Maybe he should’ve waited ‘til morning. But she opened the door a few seconds later, dressed in her night clothes with her hair down and her make-up off.

“Can I borrow you for a sec, Boss?” Bull asked quietly, absent-mindedly picking at his nails.

“Yes, of course,” she noticed the tightness of his face,  “are you alright, Bull?”

“Yeah, yeah, just-a…just have a favour to ask,” Bull recovered with a smile.

He began explaining himself and divulging his intentions to the Inquisitor, whose animated facial expression egged him on even further. He let her know everything and, although it had been only a few moments, he felt so very relieved that someone knew what he felt for Dorian. Thankfully, he was right about Scáthach’s love for planning and her response made him excited for the days to come.  

 At the end, she jumped up and down and said “Of course!” and gave him a quick hug. That moment was made much better when a shirtless Cullen holding two different colored shirts in his hands rounded the corner to investigate the noise the Inquisitor made, made eye-contact with Bull, and then just silently turned back towards her room; eyes-wide and lips-pursed. He was sure the entirety of Skyhold shook with his laughter that evening.

The Inquisitor set off the next day, and Cullen returned to his office, stern-faced and tense. The Commander was a wreck every time she left Skyhold. Sadly, Bull didn’t see much of Dorian the next few days, rumour had it that he was nose-deep in the history section of the hold’s libraries and has only come out to sleep and grab something to take back with him. With the Chargers restless and eager to keep training, Bull only had a chance to send him some new candles and that weird Tevinter ale he liked so much. Dorian sent a thank you note back but did not leave the confides of the smaller, more restricted library underneath the main level for a few days. A week or so later, the Inquisitor returned from their trip and she happily handed him the box; only a day left of preparing before he was ready.

Today was the day that everything was supposed to happen. Krem made a quip that the last thing the Inquisition needed was a nervous Qunari with a crush on a Tevinter necromancer with a penchant to create accidental fires when he was too excited. Bull didn’t know how to tell him that he really didn’t think it was just a crush, but refused to admit it to Krem just yet to avoid some, surely, relentless teasing in his future if he did. But Krem was his best-friend and there was no hiding anything from that warrior, so he included him in the plan.

It had been a day since the Inquisitor had made the arrangements with the others and, as planned, at noon Dorian came into the Tavern looking miffed that Leliana made everyone leave the top two floors of the tower for a meeting with her spies. He was more annoyed at the guards posted outside the door that lead into the depths of Skyhold where the smaller library was held. He loudly announced that he didn’t notice anyone actually go up the stairs and then stopped suddenly. Dorian had only just realized that if they were good spies he would have never noticed them….what if they had been there the whole time and she just didn’t want him to notice. _What if that requisition’s officer was the spy? What if the errand boy was the spy? What if he was the- wait, no._ Dorian shook his head and ordered his usual.

Dorian was never a nervous man until he realized that the reason the Leliana had frightened him was that not only was she the Inquisition’s spymaster, she was a bard. She could have someone killed and have them replaced with a convincing look-a-like, and that was terrifying. But at least their conversations usually ended up about shoes. That girl really loved shoes and could give an eerily accurate psychoanalysis of a person based on their shoes.

The bar-keep dropped a mug, “Oh, Andraste’s ass, I’ll be right back Ser Pavus, I need to fetch a mug and find that boy who borrowed the broom”.

“Yea, sure, just leave the bottle,” Dorian had a tome in front of him and the barkeep quickly put the bottle next to him before leaving.

On cue, people began to slowly filter out and Dorian was completely oblivious as he was now fervently taking notes on the old tome. Once it was just Dorian, himself and Krem, Krem began quietly helping Bull around the corner. As soon as the coast was clear, Bull made his way to the seat next to Dorian.

“Hey, Dorian, whatchya’ readin’,” Bull leaned against the bar, and hoped Dorian would turn to answer.

“Just searching for that our dear darkspawn magister’s _real_ name,” he flipped the page, eyes never leaving the book.

“Uh-interesting? So, how- how are _you_ doing,” he fluctuated his speech hoping he caught the hint-but, nothing.

“I’m alright, Bull,” he absent-mindedly grabbed for his cup and took a sip, “Just trying to pull my weight around here”.

Bull laughed, “Be glad you’re not me, you’d have to pull a lot!”

Dorian smiled, but still did not look up. Bull was getting frustrated.

“Dorian, I’ve got a question for ya,” Bull scooted closer and hunched his body almost around him.

“Yea, sure, what is it,” Dorian finally turned and blanched.

The sight of the large Qunari warrior wearing fine cloth, with a cleaned up and neatly shaved face shocked Dorian; he was used to leather and scruff and dirt…and sometimes blood from the battle. Surely, the sight of the mistletoe neatly weaved around his horns in an eloquent pattern made the unsuspecting mage nearly faint.

“How do you like my arrangement” he gestured to his horns.

“I-I,uhm,” his face was regaining colour, especially around his cheeks.

“I see you’ve taken a lesson of flirting from Cullen,” Bull smiled.

“Are those…Where did you get Tevinter mistletoe?” Dorian reached up and touched the flower, trying to assess its realness.

“I asked the Inquisitor to make a trip” Bull leaned down more and Dorian kept fiddling with the flowers that were decorating Bull’s horns.

“You-,” Dorian registered what Bull had admitted, “You asked her to get mistletoe from Tevinter…” he looked up at Bull, and sighed loudly.

“For you,” he placed a hand on Dorian’s shoulder and rubbed it with the pad of his thumb.

“For me?” his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth fell slightly open, he laughed to himself, not sure if he heard Bull correctly.

“Mhm,” Bull leaned down further, nearly at the same height as Dorian now.

“But- Do Qunari- _Can_ Qunari,” Dorian was interrupted by Bull’s deep laugh.

“If I wasn’t already, Dorian, to be with you, I’d become Tal-Vashoth,” he leaned his head forward, nearly touching Dorian’s forehead with his own.

“Why, Bull, is that a declaration of love,” he laughed, trying to ease the tension.

“I’m not sure but I’m willing to find out, and I brought mistletoe to help decide,” Bull pointed at his horns that were now hanging above Dorian’s head.

“You sneak,” Dorian leaned towards Bull and placed a small, almost unsure kiss on Bull’s lips.

Bull then, slowly, as to not startle the mage, placed both hands on either side of his face and pulled him in for a deeper kiss. Dorian nearly fell out of his chair, but Bull stabilized Dorian until he felt Dorian wrap his arms around his neck. Well, as much as they would go around his neck with such an awkward angle.

When they finally stopped, Bull took a moment to soak in the expression on Dorian’s face. His eyes were glazed over, pupils neatly dilated, and skin flushed around the bridge of his nose. Dorian began chuckling and when Bull gave a confused look to him, he got off the stool and stood up.

“A big Qunari like yourself and you kiss so softly, I misto-,” Bull got the challenge and practically scooped Dorian up and gave him a taste of his own medicine but stopped at the shriek from the corner.

“Maker, Bull, stop, Dorian’s set the curtain on fire!” Krem was throwing what was left of his water (thankfully) at the  curtain.

“Krem?!” Dorian just began to realize that the entire tavern was empty and the moment they shared was mostly private and, had Bull been looking at him, and not for more water, he would have seen the admiration spread across Dorian’s face.

“No need,” Dorian froze the burning curtain with the flick of his wrist.

“So, I got you burning with desire, huh?” Bull teased .

“Oh, shut it, you,” Dorian playfully knocked into him.

“Look, I’m happy for you both and all, but, stay away from flammable bits, yea?” Krem pulled the destroyed curtains off the rack and left to throw it away.

As soon as Krem was out of ear shot Dorian leaned in to Bull, “Shall we continue…elsewhere?”

“I’d like that,” Bull held the door open for Dorian and jumped when he felt a pinch before Dorian kept on his way towards the battlements upstairs. You can’t burn stone very much, so he hoped it would be safe. Well, as safe as it would be with a mage.  Bull smiled even more when he realized Dorian was covered in mistletoe. Being with Dorian was more fulfilling than slaying a dragon would ever be.

Back in the tavern, Krem, with the book Dorian left on the bar tucked under his arm, watched the two walk away, “Idiots are going to set the castle on fire” he smiled as gave the signal that everyone could return.

**Author's Note:**

> Day Two of the DecFanfic Contest :3


End file.
